Impressions of "Open Mic Night"

One thing that most Husson/NESCom students can look forward to is Open Mic Night. Literally anyone can perform in this event, and once you can sign up, you can do practically anything you want. A handful of people simply played some cover songs with an acoustic, some chose to do stand-up, and there was even a 15 minute performance by the Husson Improv group.

Though there were several acts, I'll try to go over three of what were, in my opinion, some of the more memorable acts.

First off, we have Tyler Allen (pictured left - photo by Holly Emanuelli). Allen certainly showed himself as a man of several talents during Open Mic Night. He started his act by hooking a microphone up to a vocal processor and distorting his voice in several ways. He then proceeded to perform a stand-up act involving the comical retelling of alcohol-induced awkward situations, as well as some humor regarding relationships. It doesn't stop there, though, for the icing on the cake he broke into a Neil Young impersonation and played "Heart of Gold."

The Husson Improv club (pictured right - photo by Holly Emanuelli) approached the stage a few acts later. Their acts allowed the audience to interact with them, and some of their performances mirrored the style of "Whose Line Is it Anyway?" One of the main focuses of their show was a sketch where one person would sit on a bench, and then one person (either from the Improv group or the audience) would come up and sit next to the seated individual and try to say something so awkward that it causes the other person to leave out of sheer disgust. This segment of the show certainly provided something fresh, new, and comical to the typical routine of an Open Mic Night.

Last, but certainly not least, was the NESCom Supergroup: Phimosis(pictured left, photo by Holly Emanuelli) . This group consists of two percussionists, two accordian players, and a Ukelele player/lead vocalist. They took the stage by force and opened up with what they described as an "interpretive, avant-garde" cover of Lady Gaga's Poker Face. They followed this cover with another cover, but this time the song was "We Are The World." This particular cover featured some incredibly dissonant feedback that was seemingly implemented for the sake of irony, or perhaps for the sole purpose of confusing the audience. It was definitely a treat to see half of the audience plugging their ears while the other half smiled and clapped along to the song. The band then closed with a lengthy and upbeat original song. Whether you love them or hate them, there's no doubt as to whether they have the ability to make a lasting impression on a crowd.

Now, I'm aware that there were several more groups that performed that night, but I chose only to review the performances that left a lasting impression upon me. I may not have reviewed every act, but that doesn't mean I didn't like most of the show. I certainly think it was evident that most of the performers put a lot of time and effort into their acts.